Buying a house is fun and exciting, but it also requires a lot of responsibility. Most rookies in the housing market make the same mistakes for you to learn from. Here are 5 first-time home buyer mistakes to avoid.

First-time Home Buyer Mistakes

Let’s talk about rookie mistakes. We all get nervous when the rookie quarterback gets put in the game. Mistakes are bound to happen.

The same thing can happen when buying a home for the first time. This list will help you avoid any frustrating mishaps or setback.

We want your first home buying experience to be a positive one, so listen up.

1. Know Before You Go

One of the biggest mistakes when buying a home is not knowing what you can afford.

What you can afford and what the bank says you can afford are not always the same thing.

Also, add any yearly expenses such as vacations or insurance premiums. You want to have enough to cover these bigger expenses when they come up.

From there you can figure out how much you can spend on your mortgage payment each month. When calculating, use a mortgage calculator to give you an estimate of what your mortgage will be with the current interest rate.

Once you know how much you can afford, you can spend your time looking at houses within your budget. This will give you a realistic idea of the kind of house you can buy.

2. Get Pre-Approved

Seller’s are always more willing to work with buyers who have been pre-approved.

If you have poor credit or irregular income it can be hard to get banks to work with you. Make sure you have a lender ready to go before you make an offer on a house.

Being pre-approved is often based on loan to debt ratio. This means they will look at all your current debt. Once you are pre-approved, it’s important to try to keep your debt low. This means you shouldn’t go buy a car, stack up a lot of credit card debt, or switch jobs while you are in the process of buying a home.

This could cause the deal to fall apart at the last second causing you to forfeit any deposit or earnest money you have paid. You’ll also waste the seller’s time, the agent’s time, and your time.

3. Ownership is Not Cheap

I hate to burst your bubble, but owning a home often has additional expenses that come with the cost of ownership.

Did you know that the process of buying a house is expensive? The buyer is responsible for the closing costs, appraisal fees, and escrow fees.

You’ll be responsible for homeowners and property insurance, paying property taxes, utilities, and making repairs that the house needs. Furnace goes out? That’s your expense. Need new sprinklers? Be ready to channel your inner DIY landscaper.

Be prepared.

4. Don’t Be a Picky Penny

We get it, you have goals, visions, and dreams when it comes to your new home. Unless you have won the lottery though, you’ll need to be realistic when it comes to buying a home in your budget.

This means you may not get the newest and trendiest kitchen or the intricate finish work in the family room.

First time home buyers often need to compromise. What is more important to you? A secluded location or a third bedroom?

It’s good to know what you want, but you also need to have priorities. What are the three things most important on your list? Decide what are must haves and be willing to let the rest go.

Remember, you can change paint, countertops, and carpet over time. Adding an extra bathroom, or getting a bigger yard, are a lot harder to change if those are important to you.

5. Hire a Helping Hand

It can be tempting to try to buy a home on your own. How hard can it be to find a house you like and make an offer?

Once you are shopping for a home, it’s best to find an experienced Realtor who can walk you through the process. We can help you find lenders, get prequalified, and negotiate the price in your favour.

We can save you from making any rookie mistakes. Having a realtor on your team will save your time and money.

Start Adulting

Buying a home is an exciting time. Nothing makes you feel like a real adult more than having a mortgage. Knowing some first-time homebuyer mistakes and how to avoid them helps you feel more confident and sure about the process.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need a reliable teammate. We’re here to help you avoid these first-time homebuyer mistakes!

Hiring a Real Estate Professional is more important than you may think.

The right agent can be the difference between getting your asking price and walking away leaving money on the table or paying full price for a nine-month-old listing instead of negotiating with a motivated Seller.

Not all Real Estate Agents are created equal. Learn to select the best one for you, read on.

Do Market Research

Before you begin interviewing Real Estate Agents, you should take the time to get your bearings on the local housing market. Drive around your neighbourhood and consider the names on the for sale signs you see. Make note of the ones that say “Sold”, in particular.

Find a high-quality agent by popping into an open house if you are a Seller. This can be a great way to see how other home Sellers are pricing and staging their homes.

For Buyers, going into an open house is a great way to find out about the personality and professionalism of a Real Estate Agent.

Research Your Real Estate Agent

Before you hire an agent, search them online. Look for any ratings, reviews, or references you can find about them. This person is a public figure in the community, so if there is little to no information available on their real estate activity, then this could be a red flag.

Read and find out what people in your area are saying about various agents, but more importantly, take a look at how the agents respond to their disgruntled clients.

An agent that is professional and cares about their business will take the time to address any negative reviews in a helpful and patient manner.

Interview Real Estate Agents

Walking into an open house and liking the Real Estate Agent is nice, but if you want to be sure you have the best agent for your situation, you should interview multiple agents and ask them for referrals.

A good number of agents to meet with is three. You don’t want to settle for the first agent, but you also don’t want to waste your time with a bunch of interviews. Compare the responses the agents give to the following questions.

Questions to ask:

Have you been in real estate long?

Is most of your experience in buying or selling?

How many clients do you carry at a time?

Do you function as part of a Real Estate Team?

What kind of real estate do you specialize in?

Are you equipped to handle short sales or the purchase of foreclosures?

What tactics will you use to market my home?

Set Your Expectations

Real Estate Agents are very busy people who are constantly on the go. They have to handle appointments for showings, update listings, stage homes, be present for inspections, handle closings, and much more.

But that doesn’t mean that they are off the hook when it comes to handling your sale or purchase. Your Real Estate Agent needs to be available to you and take the time to listen to your insights throughout the process to ensure you find the home of your dreams or sell your home for the best price.

Communication Preferences

As mentioned, agents are very busy. That means it’s very important for you to agree on when and how you will speak to your agent. Get on the same page from the start so you won’t be frustrated later in the process.

Motivations

Make sure that your real estate agent understands your motivations to buy or sell. If you are on some sort of timeline or desperately need a specific price for your home, then they need to know that information.

Strategies

Before you sign a contract with a Real Estate Agent, you should agree on the strategies that will be used to sell your home.

Will there be open houses? How many showings are you willing to have a week? How much time will you need notification in advance of a showing?

All these factors should be considered in detail.

Consider the Other Roles of the Real Estate Agent

Your Real Estate Agent is not just the person who lists your home or finds one for you to purchase. They can also help you with staging your home so that potential buyers have an easier time envisioning themselves in it.

That means that your Real Estate Agent should have an eye for interior design, or at least know the right person to hire to get the job done.

Your Real Estate Agent will also play a role in the inspection process of your home. Make sure you choose an agent that is trustworthy.

You want an agent who will be upfront with you about any potential problems you could have in the future. They should be willing to take the time and energy to find you a home that meets all of your needs.

Thinking of Hiring a Real Estate Agent?

Hiring a Real Estate Agent is a great way to speed up your home buying or selling process.

Are you ready to sell your home fast or purchase the home of your dreams for the best price? Contact us today!

Once you find the right home in the right neighbourhood, it’s time to put in an Offer!

Most Sellers like to hear that their house is going to someone who will cherish it and make new memories in it, the same way that they did. By writing a personal letter to present with your Offer, you can provide some additional insight to the Seller about why you love their home and wish to purchase it. Whether it is sharing your plans to raise a family in the house or expressing your desire to be in that specific neighbourhood, your letter could contribute to making the Seller feel more comfortable selling the house to you.

It’s important to:

Build a connection

Look for something you and the buyer have in common and work from there.

Keep it short

While you might be motivated to share your entire life story to get your point across, it’s generally not a good idea.

Stay positive

Writing about all the Offers you have lost in the past can put the Seller in an uncomfortable position.

Show, don’t tell

The idea here is that you want the Seller to experience your emotions. Don’t be afraid to show your attachment to the home; Sellers like to know it will be more than just an investment to you.

Leave out remodelling plans

People are naturally protective of their homes, so be mindful of their feelings when composing your letter.

Finish strong

Finish with a short paragraph supporting one or two key points you made in the letter.

Proofread it

There are grammar police everywhere. To be safe, assume the Seller is one of them!